By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – Reports and images of civilian deaths in Ukraine’s Bucha city are “very disturbing,” according to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday.
“The truth must be ascertained,” Zhao Lijian, a ministry spokesperson, said at a news briefing in Beijing.
“Humanitarian issues should not be politicized and any accusations should be based on facts,” he said, referring to the wave of vehement criticism targeted at Russia for what Ukraine has said was a “genocide” and “war crimes” in Bucha, a town near the capital Kyiv.
Moscow has denied the allegations as a “fake news attack,” arguing that the images and footage of slain civilians that have drawn global outrage were staged after Russian forces withdrew from the town.
Zhao’s remarks echoed similar comments by Zhang Jun, Beijing’s ambassador to the UN.
“Under international humanitarian law, civilians should be spared of any form of violence in armed conflicts. Attacks against civilians are unacceptable and should not occur,” Zhang said during a UN Security Council briefing on Tuesday evening.
“The reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing. The relevant circumstances and specific causes of the incident should be verified and established.”
He urged all sides to exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations until “the full picture is clear.”
Zhang stressed that dialogue and negotiation offer “the only way leading to the door for peace.”
“The international community should create favorable conditions and environment for negotiations between the two sides, open up space for political settlement, and should not set up obstacles for peace, let alone add fuel to the fire,” he said.
He said every effort should be made to prevent escalation in Ukraine, where at least 1,480 civilians have been killed and 2,195 injured since Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.
More than 4.24 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7.1 more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.